George Russell says it is “not right” Mercedes’ rivals are trying to slow them down after their front wing came under the spotlight ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Russell and Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli have won a Grand Prix each, both fending off an early challenge from Ferrari before dominating the rest of the race.
But video footage of Antonelli during his first F1 win last time out in China has caught the attention of teams as his front wing did not appear to close completely under braking.
Motion pictures showed the wing running completely flat on straights, and when transitioning to corner mode, it briefly ran in half-way mode initially under braking.
As part of Formula 1’s new 2026 rules, the front and rear wings open on designated straights, formally known as Straight Line Mode, before closing when the driver hits the brakes.
F1’s technical regulations state that the transition time between the opening and closing of the front and rear wings must not be longer than 0.4 seconds.
Antonelli’s front wing in China appeared not to close completely immediately during the braking phase and was longer than the 0.4 seconds in the video footage.
The FIA ​​has held discussions with Mercedes, who claim it was not by design and may have been caused by forces.
“It wasn’t intentional and I certainly don’t think it’s an advantage,” said Russell, who leads Antonelli by four points in the drivers’ championship.
“It’s actually a problem, so something we’re trying to solve. It’s not a straightforward solution, but there’s certainly no advantage to that, because when we brake, the front wing is still open.
“Kimi had unlocked [towards the end of the race]. I think this was a contribution to the front wing, so it’s definitely not intentional.”
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Kimi Antonelli is chased down the pit lane and showered with champagne by his Mercedes crew after taking his first F1 win at the Chinese GP
Russell beats back rivals
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has already warned of “political knives” facing the team after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who have been Mercedes’ closest challengers until now, said they had a “big gap” to close on pace.
The FIA ​​has made a late rule adjustment to qualify for the Japanese Grand Prix, reducing the permitted energy recharge from 9.0 megajoules to 8.0 megajoules.
This means there should be less super clip when the car recharges its battery towards the end of a stretch and slows down before a corner, allowing drivers to attack corners more normally at higher speed.
All five of F1’s engine manufacturers – Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull-Ford, Audi and Honda – unanimously agreed with the FIA ​​on the adjustment.
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George Russell stops at the start of Q3 after a problem with his Mercedes
“It’s just a small detail. It doesn’t change anything,” Russell said.
“You can recover less from your battery, so that means you have to be a bit smarter about how you use it. Hopefully that means we go a bit slower in the middle of the straight but a bit faster at the end of the straight.
“It’s a small adjustment. I haven’t seen any data yet on the difference from what I ran on the simulator, so I’m not really sure.”
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George Russell wins the Australian GP for Mercedes
One way Mercedes’ rivals can catch the Silver Arrows is through the three periods of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) during the season.
Teams judged to be at least two percent behind the manufacturer with the best-performing internal combustion engine are awarded development opportunities. The first ADUO is due after the sixth round of the season in Monaco in June, although this could change following the cancellations of April’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.
Asked about any games being played by Mercedes’ rivals, Russell said: “It’s just the way sport goes on to be honest. It always has been.
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George Russell goes backwards as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc overtake the Mercedes driver at the Chinese GP
“We’ve worked so hard to get ourselves in this position and the best team should come out on top. We’ve obviously had four years of struggle. There’s been two other teams over four years that have dominated and won.
“Just because we’re kind of back on top, I don’t think it’s quite right, everybody’s trying to slow us down, especially when you’re two runs down.
“It’s a big old season so things will change. We’ve already seen Red Bull is overweight and some things we saw in the press last week, McLaren hasn’t brought an upgrade to the car. They’re still running their Bahrain package.
“We shouldn’t forget those things. We have an advantage right now, but I think we’ve really hit the ground running and done a great job. We hope that continues.”
Sky Sports F1’s Japanese GP programme
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A look back at the wildest moments caught on camera at the Japanese Grand Prix
Friday, March 27
02.00: Japanese GP Practice One (session starts at 02.30)*
04.30: The team managers’ press conference
5.45: Japanese GP Practice Two (session starts at 6:00)*
7.15: F1 Show*
Saturday 28 March
2.15: Japanese GP Practice Three (session starts at 2.30)*
05.00: Japanese GP qualifying build-up*
6:00: JAPANESE GP QUALIFYING*
8:00am: Ted’s qualification notebook*
Sunday, March 29
4.30: Japanese GP build-up – Grand Prix Sunday*
06.00: JAPANESE GRAND PRIX*
8:00: Japanese medical reaction – checkered flag*
9:00: Ted’s Notebook*
*Also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula One heads to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime